To the Andrew: I didn't know at first I could click on the img and see a full-size page. I was wondering what I was supposed to infer from looking at a "head shot".
I like the original. He removed the shortcuts to "what's new", top sellers etc. That does not seem like an improvement. I've not shopped at Zappos but I use similar links on Newegg all the time.
Just adding gradients and whitespace is not enough to improve a site. :)
He wasn't saying his design was definitely the way to go, he simply took a stab at it as an example.
The points he made in the text of his letter aren't invalidated by any arguable shortcomings of his design.
Also, while you're right that he removed certain front page elements, he specifically said in the text that his design "doesn’t reflect all of the functionality and content currently in the Zeta". The point was to make a general design for the sake of his argument, not to meticulously integrate every single piece of functionality into his design.
I like the original. He removed the shortcuts to "what's new", top sellers etc. That does not seem like an improvement. I've not shopped at Zappos but I use similar links on Newegg all the time.
Just adding gradients and whitespace is not enough to improve a site. :)